Bing on Windows Phone 8 getting a “refreshed experience” over the coming weeks, including word definitions

Windows Phone Central has had few isolated reports recently of changes to the Bing search results on Windows Phone 8. We can now confirm that they are real and coming to all Windows Phone 8 devices soon. The changes include a new layout and appear to be the result of usability feedback to Bing.

One of those changes that was brought to our attention is the ability to receive a direct definition of a word in the results (seen above), as opposed to clicking a link to a dictionary site. The biggest change though is in the number of pivots, dropping from the previous four to three: Web, Local, Media, and Shopping versus the new Web, Images and Video. In addition to that change, the pivots themselves have been re-designed with a new layout for information.

The site Windows Phone Daily detailed the changes last night, noting that the Web section is more “context heavy” with local results, including maps, being intertwined with the general web results. Likewise, product cards for items searched will also be merged into the Web results. The resulting change appears to be streamlining the search process so that users have less pivot changes to make when doing basic searches.

Finally, Images and Video, previously both under “Media” now each has separate pivots as well, with larger image previews and a new two-column video layout.

Not everyone has it, yet

We have to second-hand report this information as most Windows Phone 8 devices, including our own, do not yet have these modifications. When the alterations do happen, users won’t need to do anything as it will all be pushed from Bing’s backend servers to the device. So far it seems limited to only those in the U.S., though even there it is only a minority of users.

We reached out to Microsoft on the matter and we are able to now report that these changes will go worldwide:

“We can confirm that people will now see a refreshed experience when they use Bing on Windows Phone 8. The updated experience is rolling out gradually and will be available globally on all Windows Phone 8 devices in the coming weeks.”

So there you go. These changes are official and are confirmed as rolling out, though it may take a few weeks to propagate. We think the updates make more sense and obviously the Bing team is making them to better align with the web version of the search tool.

Have you noticed the changes? And if so, what do you think? Let us know in comments.

Hey Dan, any word on how long the whole update should take on the backend? I noticed that I don't have an local results showing even under web. All that pulls up is links to websites find stores for Seattle. I'm not even close to Seattle. Haha

Well, I'm glad. I like the way Bing is in WP 7.8 and don't want Microsoft changing it for me based on other people's preferences. To me this is just another reason to stay away from WP8. I use the Local pivot in Bing quite a bit, but NEVER look for pictures or videos. Now, if they could make this customizable then that would solve everyone's problem. Why the fuck can't this be customized???? I remember the MSN app in WM goddam 5 years ago you could customize your start page to the topics that interested you. Maybe it's time I go back to my Tilt II...

They really need to bring back the weather results to the top of the list, whenever I say weather, it gives me the useless apps first, then I gotta scroll all the way to the bottom to see the city's weather. Also the local scout needs some serious update.

On the old layout you had to scroll all the way down for snapshot-like results. I still have the old layout, and both snapshots for The Conjuring and Weather were a good 3 screens down (even after "related searches")

it didn't always use to be this way, though. FOr whatever reason, those snapshots got bumped down a few months ago from where they used to be, right at the top.

I have noticed a wierd difference between WP7 and 8 devices. I am in India but have set my search region to us. On the WP7 Samsung Omnia W, local scout works correctly and shows proper results but on my WP8 Lumia 820, it does not show any data asking me to try again...
Anybody else facing this?

I have the same thing in Canada where Local Scout is not supported. When I used WP7 I changed the browser & search language to US to enable Local Scout. But when I got WP8 I did the same thing and Local Scout has no results. Microsoft must have blocked it in WP8.

I think this is for the best. To say that the Canadian Local Scout results were woefully inadequate would be an understatement (at least here in Kitchener-Waterloo). Case in point: on my old Focus, Local Scout suggests a restaurant that was closed >10 years ago. Also, it puts this restaurant's location in a municipal park...in the middle of a stream. That's just embarrassing.

Only thing I don't like about the changes so far:
-images load at a lower quality and don't load better quality until I zoom in
-the whole movie theater/ movie search is worse. I like the old way where each theater would have a showtime pivot with the passed times grayed out. Now it just not as good

Overall though I like it, especially the wikipedia/ IMDB integration when looking up movies and other stuff. Generally saves me from having to open a web page or the subpar IMDB app

They need to add more options like changing the search engines search while not restrict all of that the doesn't help them also let other competitive browsers compete with internet explorer letting the operating system grow some more already!

Just checked, I've got the updated version already. Verizon Lumia 928 located in south central Texas.

I like it from what I can tell. Definitions is a nice addition that I'm glad came around. I think I'm definitely going to like having the local results come up right away in the first search pivot with more use. Most the time, the only reason I search is for the Local use.

I would love to be able to use Bing as my primary search engine, but right now, it's just a joke here in Belgium. Everytime I defend Bing, people give me very strange looks because the functionality here is nowhere that of Google. That's a huge problem because even if Bing came out of beta tomorrow, nobody would switch because they have tried it and it just sucked so much that people won't bother trying it out again.

I, for one, found the local results to be irrelevant to my searches most of the time. And often times, even if my query had no real local context, the local "pivot" would show up first. I like the changes and am happy to see the platform evolve.

But WP users find a way to complain about everything. "Where are the updates? Have you forgotten us?" And then, "WHY DID YOU CHANGE IT?" -_-

Not seeing the changes yet (North Carolina) but I think I will like them. Sometimes it is unclear in the old version why it chooses to show you Local vs. Web. Having them on one tab with Local results at the top is good. Also, for each local result, you can tap to call or tap to drive from right there, rather than clicking to go to the contact page and *then* clicking the phone number or drive. That's one fewer click 90% of the time I use Bing for local search.

This doesn't work quite right. For example, I searched for the pizza hut in my town to get their phone number. Usually it shows up in scout, no problem. Now it doesn't show at all and I can't find anything but websites in the web section of bing. I really liked having the local view and would roll back the update if it was humanly possible. Stupid move Microsoft.